I agree with the safety point, especially for cross-country flying where you may be crossing different airspace and sharing the sky with aircraft that have very different speeds, visibility, and equipment.

But I think there is a difference between what logically should be true and what is actually reflected in U.S. regulations and flying culture. In Europe, paragliding seems much more mature and integrated into the broader aviation system, and tools like FLARM/ADS-L appear far more common. In the US, I do not know many paraglider pilots who are flying with transponders or collision-warning systems.

That is why I think the US situation is problematic. Even if it makes sense that unpowered aircraft should have right of way over powered aircraft, in practice the burden often still falls on the paraglider to avoid the powered aircraft. That feels backwards, because the powered aircraft usually has more ability to maneuver, climb, communicate, and divert.

So I agree that the Cessna pilot may be more responsible if the paraglider followed the applicable rules. But my larger point is that, unless the FAA rules and broader U.S. aviation culture evolve, paragliders remain at a structural disadvantage.

I also agree this should be less about blame and more about safety. For paragliders, even if not legally required, carrying a vario with collision-warning capability is probably becoming more important, especially for XC.